Overburdened
by Ashmoon the Betrayer
Summary: When you break a promise to someone you love, does life have its own way of punishing you? Fake Crash's P.O.V., kind of a songfic. Rated T for mild language and some violence
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a bit different style from the last fic, but here it goes! Fake Crash's P.O.V. I sure hope no one else did this plot… Oh yeah, this is a Disturbed song.**

"_Hell is still overburdened_

_I must stand and wait in line_

_I may never know for certain_

_It will be my time"_

Sometimes I think my life has no point. Sometimes I just want to end it all. Then I remember I have promises to keep.

So far I've done a pretty good job breaking all of them. I've screwed everything up, and everyone hates me. Here I am with rocks tied to my feet, and my arms bound, sinking to the bottom of the sea. Sounds like just what I deserve.

I stare into the crushing wet blackness all around me, and I wonder if you're happy. You don't seem happy. That's why you decided to kill me, isn't it? I made a promise to protect you, but instead I neglected you and got wrapped up in myself. That's why you're so angry at me; at everyone. It's my fault. I'm sorry, Nina. Maybe I should have explained, but it's too late…I deserve to die.

Sheesh, listen to me, having my own private pity party! What am I, an emo cutter or something? When in the hell did I become so morbid? Oh yeah! I remember! I wonder if anyone would listen to what I have to say…I mean, I'm just a bandicoot! I can barely read. Oh well, this isn't reality or anything, so here goes nothing!

The first thing I ever knew was the sharp pressure that comes from the first breath of life. I was suddenly aware of my fur, my paws, my body, and my surroundings. I could smell, taste, see, and feel everything in the room. I must say, it was very weird. That wasn't even close to the repulsion I felt when the first thing I saw was an enormous yellow face gawking at me.

"Erm, hello. Can-you-understaaaaannnd meeeee?" the yellow man asked.

I opened my mouth, and attempted to form words, but there was something inconvenient in the way; something big and clumsy.

"Oh no! His teeth are huge, and so are his eyebrows!" The yellow guy was obviously unhappy. Huh, as if it was my fault!

A lanky, long-faced man came into view. He had bolts in his head and large, paranoid eyes. "Dr. Cortex? D-does this bandicoot d-displease you?" He flinched when Cortex turned back toward him.

"Well, he's not so good looking, but I guess it'll do for a first try." Cortex sighed.

"It's just, well, I'm using him to lead my entire mutant army. I want to make a good first impression, you know?" He turned back to me, and pressed a button. Finally, I could move my arms and legs.

"Me? Lead an army? Well, I kinda think of myself as an actor. Or maybe a talk show host. That's cuz of my real awesome thocial thkills." I grinned, trying to make light of the situation, since I'm the life of the party.

"Uhwha? Thoshall what?" Cortex looked at me like I just swallowed a can of gasoline.

"He uh, h-has a bit of a s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s" The paranoid man's large brow furrowed with effort.

"Out with it man!"

"S-s-s-speech problem." The stuttering scientist sighed with relief.

"Speech problem? Greeeeaaat. Okay, Brio. Let's get this guy some training. Take the bandicoot to the fitness wing, and don't bring him back until he's in the best shape of his life." Cortex looked like he needed a drink.

Brio led me to the fitness wing, where I underwent serious physical torture at the hands of some lab assistants. We're talking fifteen push-ups and sit-ups here! Fortunately, I wasn't doomed to be a twig-armed weenie forever. Each day I was able to do more, and eventually they taught me some fighting moves. There was this one spinning move I learned, that only a lithe, athletic bandicoot such as myself could pull off. Good thing there aren't any others running around. That was my thought at the time, anyway.

Dr. Cortex came around every once in a while to check up on me. Sometimes he even took me to his office to explain his fantasy for world domination, but he quickly ended that after I accidentally took his hovercraft for a joyride. I ended up crashing it into a beached whale. Ah, how happy I was back then!

When Brio heard about it, he started calling me Crash. Crash Bandicoot. It had a nice ring to it. That is, until somebody else stole it.

A few months later, Cortex started to act really happy. I didn't see anything to be happy about. That blue kangaroo thing he made seemed to have an overcharged battery in his brain, and the koala was as dumb as a sack of hammers. The gangster rat had his own ideas about how things should be run, and that bandicoot chick was just a walking pair of watermelons. I guessed he finally found some whiskey.

One day I was driving a go-cart down the hallway when I overheard Brio and Cortex having a hushed conversation in the conference room. I put my large ear against the door.

"B-but Cortex, how is an-n-nother bandicoot going to help?"

"I told you, this bandicoot is better! He actually knows how to shut up, and he's much more handsome!"

"L-l-looks aren't everything, Dr. C-cortex."

"This bandicoot is just better. I can feel it; he's the chosen one who will lead us to victory!"

"*Sigh* I g-guess I c-can't change your mind. W-what are we going to tell C-Crash? Y-you haven't even given him a ch-ch-chance."

"Ugh! Alright. We'll put the two bandicoots against one another, in a fight to the death. Then we'll see which is stronger; yours or mine."

"I d-don't want to make this a y-you versus me!"

"Just ask Crash to come to the battle arena, and we'll settle this once and for all."

I got back in the go-cart and sped away as fast as I could. How could there be another me? More importantly, how in the hell was I expected to kill myself? I suddenly didn't feel so confident in my own abilities.

"Hey, where'ya goin' in such a hurry, Crash?" I skidded to a halt in front of Tawna.

I blushed furiously, trying to keep my eyes on the ground. It was difficult. "If you must know, I'm leaving the cathle and living in the wild." I improvised. Hey, it seemed like a good idea.

"Aww, you can't leave! I'll be so lonely without you." Tawna leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. I started to get some confidence back.

"Uh, you're right, Tawna! I can't jutht run away from my problems. I've gotta face 'em head on! I'm gonna prove that I'm the thtrongest. I'm going to fight for my plathe in line!" I put the car in ultra reverse and made my way to the battle arena, where some monstrous specimen of my steroid-eating double would be waiting for me.

**A/N: Did I mention the chapters were going to be long? This is going to be one of the most important stories of my fanfiction career. I'm going to cram all I can into the next two days since the frightening image of school is looming right in front of me.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"_How was I considered evil?_

_Pleasures taken in this life?_

_Someone granted me retrieval _

_Decades spent in strife_

_Led to nothing"_

The double doors to the battle arena were opened; apparently my opponent was already waiting for me. I found myself face to face with another bandicoot. He looked hauntingly like me, except for his eyebrows and teeth. His body was thin and lanky, yet muscular, just like mine. His soulful green eyes contained the same innocence and childish joy. He looked confused at the sight of me, but he said nothing.

Cortex was in a glass booth above us, and he commanded sharply, "Alright Crash, show this faker how real warriors are made!"

He was talking to me, right? I was all ready to obey when the other bandicoot got into a fighting stance. He seemed to gain new strength from Cortex's words. Did that mean he was talking to the other bandicoot? My brain felt scrambled. I thought I was Crash Bandicoot…I mean, that's what everyone called me since I was born. Who was I really then? Was I not born to lead the mutant army and be some kind of warlord?

Before I had a chance to sort out my thoughts, the bandicoot leaped up and gave me a heavy kick to the jaw. Ripples of dizziness appeared in my eyes, but I jumped on top of the imposter and bit his ear. He gave a yelp of pain and started to spin. Faster and faster he went, his arms and legs thrashing me mercilessly. I let go and went flying through the air. When I landed, a new ache appeared in my injured jaw. This time it was the ache of sadness; the ache that happens when tears are coming.

That bandicoot was taught the same spinning move that I was taught, except he could do it better. He knew all the moves I did, only better. Cortex had been holding out on me. I looked desperately at Brio, who seemed to understand. He began to tremble, and then shouted, "S-stop!"

The other bandicoot looked at me searchingly, then smiled a goofy, perfectly white smile. Dr. Cortex screamed impatiently, and opened the glass window.

"Brio, what do you want?"

"I…I don't approve of th-the way you k-k-keep making these poor innocent animals into enemies." Brio muttered, staring at his boots.

"Dammit, Brio! You don't understand the importance of my work. This is my champion's final test, to see if he truly is the one I seek. Crash will prove his worth by removing this mistake from the face of the earth!" Cortex jabbed a gloved finger in my direction, and I flinched.

Mistake? So that was it, then. I had become obsolete, a nobody. "Uh, Dr. Cortex? If that bandicoot is Crash, then whath my name?" I asked.

Cortex, my creator whom I'd worked so hard to impress, didn't even look at me. "Why, you're nothing. Soon you won't even exist, so I wouldn't worry about it."

I felt numb; outside of myself, like an unfeeling, unthinking shadow. I felt like I was already dead. "I…I can't do this. I can't wathte everything fighting an impothible enemy! You'd better jutht kill me now." I closed my eyes, awaiting my doom.

Then Brio was beside me. He stood in front of me. "I…uh…won't let you d-do this Dr. C-c-cortex! All our mutants are l-like children, and y-y-you can't just kill them wh-wh-whenever you please!" He grabbed my furry arm and we fled the battle arena.

We ran through endless corridors and rooms, always hearing blaster fire close behind us. Somehow Brio and I reached the exit, and we raced down the front steps. "Head f-f-for the boat!" Brio yelled.

Our feet pounded through the sands, but my body felt like it had weights attached to it; the weights of disappointment and grief. Suddenly I heard angry shouts behind us, and more lasers whizzed by. Dr. N. Brio let go of my arm and crumpled to the ground, holding his own arm.

I stopped. "Brio! You got shot!" I exclaimed, shocked at the reddish-black scorch mark on the scientist's arm.

"It's…alright. B-but I c-can't make it any further. You g-g-go!" he commanded in a strained voice.

"Where?" I asked.

"I d-d-don't know. Just d-don't come back here! C-c-cortex would k-kill you. J-just go!"

So I left N. Brio there, and got into the tiny boat. I started the motor, having only the vaguest idea how to work one of these seagoing contraptions. The boat sped away from the island, and into the open sea. I just kept going, with no idea where I would end up, or even where I wanted to end up. How many hours passed? I didn't keep track. I just kept casting nervous glances behind me, watching the castle shrink into the distance.

I woke up days later, feeling parched and starving. I noticed there was a large shadow covering my small boat and the water around it. At first I feared that a giant mutant shark had come to finish me off. Looking up, I saw there was an old-fashioned pirate ship towering over me. The crew was generous enough to take me aboard, but only as a prisoner. I found myself chained to a bench below the deck with a bunch of other slaves. We were forced to use these huge oars to power the ship, twelve hours a day. We got little food and water, were beaten often, and generally treated like dog crap. I was trapped aboard the ship for almost two years.

Finally, I came up with a plan. If I acted too sick or weak to work, the captain might free me. The next time the slave watcher came around, I made a great show of coughing and fainting.

"Aarrgghh! This blighter's got the sickness!" The slave watcher yelled. My plan worked a bit too well. Two crewmen unchained me, took me to the deck, and threw me overboard right then and there.

I landed in the salty water, gasping for breath. Before I registered my predicament, the great ship was far away. I swam for who knows how long. Just when my arms and legs started to ache terribly, I saw a small hill in the water. It was a pathetic speck of an island, but it was better than being shark food. I sat on the island for a couple of forevers, feeling parched, starving, and bored.

I think while I was on that island, I went a little insane. I didn't think much, I just watched the shark fins weave in and out of the waves. I spent so much time staring at the sea, and the blank sky, that I forgot I was hungry, or thirsty, or bored. I was so immersed in my utter nothingness that I even forgot my own name. Whatever it was, that other guy can have it now. Names are just too hard to think about. How easy it would be to put my sanity in the water and watch it float lazily into the sunset. I could feel my mind pulling away from my brain. Soon it would fly up and join the peaceful ranks of graceful birds, to glide to a beautiful somewhere, far away.

Wait, is that a…someone?

A bandicoot girl with blonde hair ripped through the water in a jet ski. It had been so long since I'd seen someone like me that I didn't know what to do. I hysterically screamed at her, jumped around, and flailed my arms in what I hoped was the universal sign for S.O.S.

The bandicoot girl fixed her green eyes on me and brought the water vehicle to a halt. Her eyes widened in recognition, confusion, then horror. For some reason, she revved up the machine and drove away as fast as she could. My only chance to escape a watery hell was gone. I cried out in despair, and got back to my half-insane thoughts. Where was I? Oh, yes. The essence of my sanity was being crudely eroded away like the fragile sand on this island, and-

"Hey, you look like you could use a miracle." I was interrupted by a woman's gentle voice. My gaze traveled up the impressive yacht. Standing on the prow of the ship was a tall and beautiful young woman with black hair and blue eyes. She was holding what looked like a bundle of blankets.

I gave her what I hoped was a friendly grin, but with my luck it probably looked more like a serial rapist's smile. This woman looked kind enough. Without a doubt, I was saved at last.

**A/N: I actually got the slave ship part from a Redwall book, the Legend of Luke. Maybe it seems kinda random, but I had to make Fake Crash do something while Crash and Crash 2 were going on. I can't promise I'll update every day, cuz school starts tomorrow…**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"_Repeated in my mind_

_led to nothing_

_If only I was born another time"_

I boarded the yacht, and stumbled onto the deck. I took a second look at the black-haired woman, and realized that the bundle of blankets was actually a baby. The woman brought her baby closer, and I saw that it was a girl with dark blue eyes and a shock of black hair on top of her head.

"Woah." I couldn't help but gasp in awe. I had never seen such a tiny human before.

The woman laughed. "What's the matter? Never seen a baby before?"

"Actually, no. It'th been a while thinth I've theen anybody." I shrugged. "I gueth I should introduth mythelf. I'm…uh…" I felt a faint gap in my brain where my name should be.

The woman waved her hand dismissively. "That's alright. I'm sure your brain is exhausted. You can think about it and get back to me. My name is Nadine. This is my daughter, Nina. My husband Xavier is steering this piece of junk."

"I heard that." A hugely muscular and tan man walked onto the deck, flashing his wife a teasing smile. Xavier's teeth seemed to be too big for his mouth, and I could see their striking outline when he closed his mouth. Additionally, his forehead slightly jutted out and cast a shadow over his ice-blue eyes. These facial features, added to his slightly hunched posture, made him resemble a handsome gorilla.

"You know I was just kidding." Nadine turned back to me. "Xavier and I built this boat all by ourselves. We live in it and explore the entire world. He's a marine biologist, and I'm a pathologist."

I gave her a blank look.

"He studies creatures of the ocean, and I study diseases. We get to see so many new places." Suddenly Nadine's face grew sad, and Xavier put his hands on her shoulders.

"Whatha matter? It thoundth like you two have a lot of adventureth together. Whath there to be thad about?" I asked.

"Look. I know you're a complete stranger, and not even human, and have absolutely no reason to care. But our work can be dangerous, and it's not exactly safe for a child. We've seriously been considering finding a better environment for Nina to grow up in. We have to find her a new home before she gets too old. In our travels we've been hoping to find a safe place and kind people to raise her. If only we could know whether they were treating her well." Xavier explained.

I had taken a liking to the family, and also had nowhere else to go. I had to help somehow. "Hey, uh…I don't want you to conthider thith ath weird cuz I jutht met you, but I could stay with her and make sure she hath a good life."

Xavier and Nadine stared into each other's eyes for a minute, having a silent discussion. Nina blinked at me in wonder, and gave me a toothless grin.

Nadine sighed. "I don't know who you are, or what you are, but you came to us for a reason. I can tell you have a kind heart and good intentions. You can travel with us, and once we get to know you perhaps you will find our daughter a good home."

A few years passed, and I was as good as one of the family. Nina took a great liking to me, and enjoyed giving me hourly hugs. I helped with everything on the ship, and in time Xavier and Nadine came to trust me. One day, Nadine called me to her room to discuss something with me. At first I was afraid that I did something wrong. I tried to be obedient, but they must be ready to toss me off the ship.

I entered, and Nadine was frowning at a large map that was unfolded on the table. "We've been all over the world, even to hell and back. We haven't been able to find Nina a family and time is running out." She said without looking up.

"Anything else cheerful to say?" Xavier and Nadine had even been so kind as to cure my speech problem.

Nadine looked up at me, worry clouding her blue eyes. "I've decided that Nina should go to live with my brother. He's the only living relative I have left."

"You don't sound happy."

The woman walked to the porthole, looking out at the open sea. "I don't know. I wouldn't choose him unless I had no other choice. And as you know, I don't."

"What's wrong with him?" I wasn't sure that I wanted Nina to live with this guy. He might not be the most virtuous of men.

"I'm just not sure Neo has the capacity in his heart to care for another human being. He might completely screw Nina up, or neglect her." Nadine let out a sharp breath.

"Don't worry about a thing, Nadine! I swear on my life that I'll protect Nina until she doesn't need me anymore! I'll make sure every moment in her life is filled with compassion and happiness!" It still amazes me how easily I made that promise.

Nadine looked back at me, concerned and a little shocked. "That's a hell of a promise to make." Her gaze softened. "But I'm confident that you'll do all in your power to make it come true." She looked back out the window. I noticed a tall, crooked shape on the horizon. "If I just ask Neo to take Nina, I know he'll say no. That's why I have to ask you to simply take her there. I don't think he would send her away if she had nowhere to go. Listen to me. This is extremely important. I need you to explain the situation to my brother, but don't tell Nina we left her behind. If she asks, tell her we died. That's harsh, but at least it's better than that we abandoned her. Are you okay?"

I didn't answer. My furry legs threatened to buckle underneath me. I felt nauseous, and my paws were trembling. Out the porthole, I could clearly see the menacing figure of Cortex castle like a ghost of the past rising from the ocean to swallow me whole. Suddenly I wasn't so sure I could do this.

**A/N: Finally updated! I had to get my homework done first, heh. I'm seriously trying!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_Hell is still overburdened_

_I must stand and wait in line_

_Hell is still overburdened_

_How have I been so determined malign?"_

"You've been here before." Nadine stared at me levelly. I nodded slowly. "As soon as I saw you, I wondered if you were one of Neo's freak experiments. That's what drove us apart. He gives these animals a new life, and then if they don't behave he tosses them aside like they were nothing. I'll bet that's what he did to you. You never deserved this; you're a wonderful…bandicoot. I know that, Xavier knows that, and Nina knows that. If my brother can't see it, he's the one with a problem." She finished.

I burst into tears and hugged Nadine, grateful for everything she had done. I think I was crying more for the fact that I would likely never see her again. All that unconditional kindness: would I ever encounter anything like it?

Somehow I found the courage to leave the ship and stumble onto that shore again. With Nina hitching a piggyback ride on my shoulders, I walked up a grassy hill and watched the yacht sail out to sea once more, knowing this would be my last time seeing it.

Nina waved at the ship. "Where mommy and daddy goin'?" she asked me.

I didn't answer right away. After some hesitation, I replied, "They have to go save all the little animals in the world."

"Are dey gonna come back?" I looked up at her. Worry clouded Nina's cheerful blue eyes. This time I didn't answer at all.

We followed the winding path up to Cortex castle, up to the unwelcoming steel doors. I knocked a few times, praying that my old friend Doctor N. Brio would be the one to answer. No such luck. A short, stocky man with a missile in his head peered up at me with neurotic red-rimmed eyes.

"Gah! Crash Bandicoot! Crash Bandicoot has come! Now we must all run away, like frightened leeetle amoebas!" The little man took out a ray gun. "Hah! Not likely, Meester Crash! I know why you have come. You have come to announce your uncondeeeetional surrender!" The man had a strange accent.

"Um, excuse me sir. My name's not Crash anymore. I don't have a name." I informed him. I had forgotten that I was once called "Crash".

The small, paranoid man lowered his gun. He seemed to be surprised that I could talk. "Oh, meester Crash, eet looks like you've taken too many Nitro boxes to the face! Maybe eet finally triggered your abeeelity to speak! Dr. Cortex will be sooo pleased! Right theeeees way!" The man gestured for me to follow him inside. I obeyed the command, and eventually I was led into Cortex's office.

The room looked the same as it ever had, with complicated blueprints and pictures of himself adorning Neo's walls. The yellow scientist himself was engrossed in angrily tearing pages out of a journal titled: The Ultimate Weapon. The trashcan was overflowing with pages and photographs of a powerful burgundy bandicoot with one metal arm beating the crap out of various opponents. I'm glad I never encountered such a beast.

When the door opened, Cortex waved a hand dismissively. "Come in, N. Gin."

N. Gin pushed Nina and I inside. "Meester Crash wants to TALK to you."

"Hmph. Well Crash. Come to brag about how you stole my greatest experiment from me? Do you want to take some more of my minions? Go ahead, help yourself to any of my life's work. Take Tiny; he's becoming a real pain in the ass." That's when Neo looked up and saw who I was. He slapped himself in the forehead. "Sh*t. I don't need this right now! Take that Fake Crash and incinerate it!" He turned away.

"Cortex; Nadine sent me." I said. Neo turned around, and looked at Nina shockingly. "This is your niece, Nina. If you don't take care of her, she'll have nowhere to go."

"I need to go potty!" Nina announced.

Cortex was silent for a long time. He stared out the window, completely still. Finally, he said quietly, "N. Gin, escort Nina to the bathrooms. Fake Crash, you stay here." So that's what I was now. Fake Crash. I must say, it was a little disparaging. Nina waved at me as she left the room, and I tried to give her a reassuring smile.

Now Cortex and I were all alone. He wandered over to his desk, and sat down. "Now, I don't know how you came across my sister, and I don't know how you're still alive, but it all makes me very unhappy. You see, I intended to never see you again. I don't like when things don't go as planned. Crash was the real rightful leader of my army, and he refused. You aren't supposed to exist. You've somehow involved yourself in my life, but I'm severing this tie right now." Cortex pulled a ray gun out of his desk drawer, and began to shoot at me.

I tried to dodge the lasers, but I had forgotten most of my past combat training. One shot after another sliced into me. I felt like I must be swiss cheese by now. I crumpled to the floor, my whole body searing with immense heat. I saw that several patches of my fur were scorched away, and my arms were covered with angry red burns where I had shielded my face. Cortex marched over to me, and crammed a boot into my stomach.

"*Sigh* Now you see why I'm doing this? If you aren't strong enough to survive this world, you have no business wasting all our oxygen. Goodbye, useless organism." I found myself staring down the barrel of the laser, which was aimed between my eyes. I closed my eyes, anticipating a quick end.

"Nooooo! Don't hurt my widdle friend!" I opened my eyes to see Nina, her arms locked around my neck. She was sobbing into my fur.

Enraged by this interruption, Cortex jammed the laser into his belt. "It seems Nina has taken a liking to cute little pathetic scraps of fur." He leaned over, and whispered in my ear. "Someday she won't need you. When that time comes, consider yourself dead. I'm going to do all I can to make sure that time comes very soon." He hissed.

Somehow I had made Cortex my enemy. However, as long as Nina was my friend, I would remain unharmed. Mostly. Pretty fair trade, right? Whatever was to come, I had a promise to fulfill, and I couldn't do it dead.

**A/N: Sorry, but I'm making Cortex out of the iceberg now, otherwise there would be no place to put Crash Purple or Nitro Cart. Also, I don't know how old Nina would be at this point. Just use your imagination. I'm kinda worried that the song will be too short for the story. I should start making the chapters longer…**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"_It's the closing of the curtain_

_in the play that was my life"_

**A/N: I'm so SORRY! I promised I was going to update, but I haven't updated in forever. I've had so much homework, and I just discovered Facebook. Naturally, I've started doing that in my spare time, but I will try to update more. Also, I'm shortening the dosage of lyrics for each chapter, since I'm not sure I'll have enough.**

The months after the ray-gun incident passed slowly. Nina and I were inseparable, and we spent all our time together. I was there to comfort her when she needed me, and always knew what to say that would make her happy. The other minions didn't think much of me. They were all saying that I got special treatment. I don't know what they were talking about; every time I left Nina's side I feared for my life. Cortex was always lurking around the corner, reminding me that my days were numbered.

One particular day, Neo was looking uncharacteristically happy. He practically skipped around the castle, carrying a piece of paper.

"Fake Crash, I need to speak with you alone." He said. I could feel my stomach knotting up, preparing itself for whatever Cortex had planned. Nina hugged me goodbye, and I followed the scientist into his personal chambers.

Once in the office, Cortex sat in his comfy chair and didn't speak right away. He didn't even offer me a chair; how rude. He merely spun around in the rolling chair, letting the awkward silence sink into my brain. Finally, he put the piece of paper on the desk and slid it towards me. I picked it up and looked at it, but my reading skills were minimal.

"Do you know what this is?" Neo asked me. I shook my head. "This is an acceptance letter from the Academy of Evil. It's the private school I attended when I was young. Do you know what it means?" he asked. I shook my head again. "It means that Nina is going away to school. She's going to learn what it means to be truly evil. She won't be back for a long time, and when she returns…well, she certainly won't need you anymore. I promise you, the moment Nina leaves for the Academy…" Cortex swiped a finger across his throat; the universal sign that I was going to die. So that was why he was so happy. He was going to get rid of me like he did to Brio. If, in fact, Brio was dead. Somehow I didn't have the will to ask Cortex that question.

When Nina heard the news, she was inconsolable. "Noooo! I don't wanna go to school! I want mommy and daddy! They wouldn't make me go! I hate you!" she screamed at Neo. The little girl ran into her room, buried her face in her pillow, and sobbed hysterically for an hour.

I knew I had to do something; I couldn't stand to hear her cry so much. I went into her room and saw that she was still laying face down in her pillow. "Nina, what's the matter?"

Nina looked up at me with bloodshot blue eyes. "I don't wanna go to school! I wanna stay here with you and play forever! Other kids don't have ta go, it's no fair!"

"Actually, everybody has to go to school. Otherwise you won't be smart like uncle Neo." I forced a smile. Neo was actually the last person on Earth that anyone should aspire to be.

"Everybody? Did you go to school?" Nina was surprised.

"Well, erm…no, but I'm not like you. You're human, and I'm not. Human children go to school. There isn't a school for animals like me." I explained.

"Why not?"

"Because…we aren't smart enough to learn stuff like you are." I shrugged.

"But you're smart! You should go to school, too! Go to school with me!"

I wanted to cry. "I really want to, but school is for people, not animals." Nina glowered at me, and buried her face in her pillow again. I could see that I wouldn't make her understand.

Nina and I spent the next couple of days at the beach, cherishing our last moments together before everything came to an end. On the last day, we were sitting on the sand and watching the sunset when she asked me the question I was trying to avoid. "Hey Fake Crash…will you be here when I get back?"

I didn't look at her. "…Of course I will." It was a bad lie, and Nina detected it immediately. Little kids are very observant.

"You're lying. Why are you lying to me? Lying is what bad people do. Are you going away? You don't like me anymore?" Nina began to cry.

"No, Nina! Please don't say that. I do like you; you're my best friend. It's just…your uncle doesn't like me too much, and…"

Nina gasped. "He's gonna hurt you again! I won't let him get you! You can come with me so I won't be so lonely. Then he can't get you."

"Neo won't let me come with you. I told you, schools are for people."

Nina grabbed me around the waist and locked me in a desperate hug. "Then I'll hug you forever and not let you go!"

I tried to reason with her, but the harder I tried, the tighter she squeezed me. Just when I felt like my organs were being crushed, Neo arrived on the scene. "Come along, Nina. Tomorrow's the first day of school, and I wouldn't want you to be tired."

Nina didn't budge. "I'm not going to school without Fake Crashie! I'll just hug him forever so we have to go everywhere together! Even to the bathroom!"

Truthfully, I didn't think too much of that idea. Cortex glowered hatefully. "How you can HUG these pathetic creatures is beyond me; how disgusting. How can you expect to pursue a successful career in evil, if you are attached to that damn orange fur-ball?" He grinded his teeth for a moment, then his eyes widened. An awful grin was plastered to his yellow face. "Erm, come along now, Nina. It's time for bed. You can hug Fake Crash goodbye in the morning."

"*Sigh* Okay, uncle Neo. Goodnight Fake Crash!" Nina released me and went with Neo, who gave me a look of sick triumph. I didn't like it. What in the hell could he be planning?

That night, I couldn't sleep. The look Cortex had given me stuck in my mind, and didn't go away. I couldn't help feeling that things were about to get really bad, really fast. Finally, I got out of bed and snuck outside of my room, careful not to wake Tiny, my roommate. I restlessly wandered the halls of the castle, hoping to find some sign that everything was okay. My legs took me to Nina's room. I opened the door partway, and peered inside. Her bed was empty. Panicked, I raced down the halls again, searching for her.

"I told you uncle Neo, I don't have to pee!"

At the sound of Nina's voice, I ripped open the door to a small closet, and hid inside. I strained my ears as they went past. "Of course you have to go, Nina. You drank all that lemonade." Neo sounded impatient.

"This isn't the way to the potty! Are you lost?" Nina sounded equally impatient.

This time, her uncle merely grunted irritably. As soon as they were safely past, I slowly pushed open the door and crept into the hallway.

The humans had turned left; I could see their shadows disappearing around the corner. They were headed not towards the restrooms, but to the lab sector. Swift and silent as a predator, I followed them through the labyrinthine passageways of the castle. Where could they be going at such a late hour, when Nina supposedly had school the next day?

Finally, I reached Lab Sector 28, a long hallway with numbered steel doors on each side. I heard one of the doors slam, but didn't notice which one it was. I put my ear to each door, listening carefully. On the other side of the door marked Lab 28C, I could hear Nina's muffled complaints.

"Uncle Neo, why are we here? I'm tired," she whined.

I froze. That's the same question I wanted to ask. Why would Neo bring her to the lab at three a.m.? I'd heard terrible stories…stories about what adult men could do to young girls, even if they were related by blood. Seized with panic, I tugged on the door handle, but nothing happened, of course. If I pounded on the door, Cortex would have me incinerated in a second. I waited it out, my claws digging frantically at the cold metal surface of the door.

"It's alright, Nina. I just need you to sleep here tonight." Neo replied from within.

"Is that a needle?!" The girl was frightened now.

"It's nothing, my dear. Now just close your eyes and relax."

That was it for me; I craned my neck up to the small window to see what the hell he was doing to my best friend. Nina was lying on a cold metal lab table, with her arms shackled above her head. Cortex was holding a fearsome syringe, and he jabbed the needle into her arm. In a few moments, the girl was unconscious. Her head rolled to the side, and her blue eyes closed peacefully, as if she were only sleeping.

"N. Gin, Get over here." Neo barked. The nervous cyborg shuffled over to his boss, holding what looked like a pair of metal hands. Cortex put on a surgical mask, and fished around in a cabinet above his large yellow head.

"Uh…What was the purpose of this surgery again?" N. Gin asked.

"Nina has a chance to get a great education at the best school in the world, and I won't let her throw it away for some stupid animals. Last time I checked, hugging bandicoots is NOT part of the curriculum at the Academy. Next time my niece tries to hug an animal, she'll nearly crush them. Soon they will all fear her, and she'll learn to show mercy to no creature, no matter how sweet or adorable. Now help me with this." Neo never looked at his assistant. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out a huge surgical knife.

"I'm…not sure either of us got degrees in the medical profession." N. Gin's huge eyes darted around the room, as if there were cops all around.

"N. Gin, you work with robots all the time. People aren't really that much different. Just…with more blood…" Neo stopped, and looked over at the wall with a glazed, faraway look.

N. Gin backed away slightly. "Perhaps we should just start the operation…Dr. Cortex?"

Neo refocused, and walked to the table. N. Gin reluctantly followed him. The moment the knife was inches away from Nina's skin, I looked away from the window. I felt nauseous inside. That SICK man was about to cut off Nina's hands, and replace them with some sort of robotic set of hands. I slid down onto the floor with my head in my paws. I had to do something, but I wasn't sure what power I had. These were humans, and I was nothing more than a stupid animal. Cortex had the authority to shoot me on sight, and no one would try to argue with him.

Somehow I didn't care. I HAD to help Nina. I made a promise. I stood up. Cortex could do whatever the hell he wanted with me, as long as my friend was safe. I pounded furiously on the metal door.

N. Gin opened it after a few seconds. "Oh…Meester Fake Crash! I…we…right now Dr. Cortex ees veeeeeerry busy. Come back later." He tried to push the door closed, but I punched him in the face with all my strength.

The round scientist screeched like a girl and fell backwards. I rushed inside and saw Neo slicing into Nina's arm. When he saw me his eyes widened.

"Um. Oh. Bandicoot. I think you've got the wrong room." He tightened his grip on the knife handle.

"You son of a bitch. What do you think you're doing to her?" I couldn't control myself any longer. Call it my primal instincts taking over, but I really felt the need to rip off that bastard's super-sized yellow head. I leaped on top of him and tried to claw his eyes out.

Too bad for me, I forgot he had a knife. Cortex yelled and tried to push me off of him. Suddenly I felt a slight pain in my abdomen, like an annoying bee sting. I felt a wet sensation in my fur, and I put a paw on my wound. When I lifted my fingers, they were covered in sticky red stuff.

"Oh God. What…is this?" I croaked. While I was prisoner on the ship, I had been beaten, but this sticky stuff had never come out of me. It was pretty freaking scary, seeing it for the first time.

Neo stood up and gave me a creepy smile. His eyes were alight with inhuman madness. "That's called blood, Fake Crash. You'll be seeing a lot more after I'm finished with you." He held up the surgical knife, which was also covered in blood.

I backed away from him, holding my injured side. I started to feel nauseous again, and I could barely stand by that point. The blood was dripping through my fingers, and onto the floor. There was just so much of it. I couldn't help myself, I had to lie down. I curled up on the ground and blacked out.

Yeah, well, I didn't die. I woke up with an IV in my arm and bandages around my torso. I was in some sort of hospital bed, and a steady beeping noise was really starting to piss me off. I looked over to see some sort of computer screen with a squiggly line moving up and down.

At first I was really confused, and then with a shock of despair I realized that I had failed to save Nina. I had broken my promise to her parents. What good was I now, if I couldn't fulfill my only purpose in life?

With these thoughts in mind, I silently wished for death. Yet, it wasn't meant to be. Tawna came in the room, dressed in a tight nurse's outfit. I hadn't seen her in a long time. God, she was so hot. She stared at my present condition with sad eyes.

"I need to check your temperature." She said flatly.

"What…what happened while I was gone?" I croaked.

"That other bandicoot…Crash. He's given Cortex a lot of trouble. We…aren't really allowed to talk about him, but I…loved him." Tawna stuck the thermometer into my mouth, most likely so I couldn't reply to that statement. "Just…a lot of things happened after you left. Brio's gone now. He didn't want to work for someone who's so cruel to animals." She finished.

I ripped the thermometer out of my mouth and tried to get up. "Yeah, well, he isn't so nice to his own species either." A sharp jolt of pain tore through my stomach. I saw that a haphazard blanket of bandages was wrapped around my middle. How was I supposed to save Nina wearing half of a sleeping bag? If Tawna was a nurse now, she sure as hell wasn't a very good one.

"Where's Nina?" I asked her sharply. I could tell by the hurt look in her eyes; she knew I wasn't screwing around.

Tawna looked at her paws. "Well, I don't really know. She's about to leave for the Academy though. I doubt you'll catch them in time. You should…just stay here and rest."

I stared at her sadly for a few moments. She obviously wanted me to stay. Did she…feel something for me? No. It was probably the other guy; Crash. If Tawna couldn't have him, then I was probably a backup. After all, I did look like him.

"I…I have to go…now." I didn't feel like explaining myself, and the prospect of being used by Tawna was starting to piss me off. I ripped the IV out of my arm and struggled out of bed. I stumbled out into the hallway, still weak and shaky.

Suddenly Tawna was supporting me, and together we made our way through the maze of corridors. "I know you have to do this…whatever it is, it seems important to you. So I'm going to help you."

Tawna had obviously matured a lot since I met her all those years ago. Though I would still never trust the blonde slut with my life, it was good to know that at least one person…erm, bandicoot, was on my side.

Finally, we both emerged into the hangar, where Cortex's enormous airship was about to take off. The yellow man was trying to push Nina up the ramp, but the young girl was putting up a fight.

"No! I don't wanna go without Fake Crashie! Where is he? He'll come soon! I know it!" She squealed.

"Urgh. Nina, Fake Crash obviously doesn't care about you, or he would have showed up by now. I won't wait another minute. N. Gin, fire up the ship!" Neo commanded.

"Wait!" Tawna yelled. Cortex looked up in disbelief when he saw me. Nina leapt off the ramp and ran towards me, her arms outstretched.

I raced over to meet her, despite the pain ripping through my abdomen. Nina wrapped her arms around me. The air raced out of my lungs, and my bones creaked in protest. It didn't seem possible; the little girl was nearly crushing all my organs with a simple hug. I tried to breathe but it was impossible.

"Ungh!" I choked. Nina released me.

"Oh…sorry." She looked down at her hands, which were made of metal.

"Wh…what…is THAT?!" I cried hoarsely, trying to regain my breath.

"Uh, let's not talk about this here." Cortex growled. "Fake Crash, I don't think…you should be here. You might…distract Nina from her studies."

"Hey sir, can we talk for a sec?" I tried to keep my shaky voice even.

I led Cortex to a corner of the room. "Listen up you son of a bitch. I don't know what you did to her, but if you don't let me go with her now, I'll be back at the castle. Bothering you forever…"

Cortex swallowed. "Um, yes. Well, whatever. You won't last a day over there anyway. The headmistress will sort you out soon enough." He glared at me, then the ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

He sat in the airship with Nina and I, still grinning at me. I didn't know what he was smiling about, but unfortunately I was about to find out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"_Countless chapters left unopened_

_Tragedies inside"_

**A/N: Yes, I know. I haven't updated once again. But I promise I WILL finish this story. Our computer crashed, and I lost the chapter 6 file. It kind of sucked anyway, so I'm starting over now that I've graduated from high school and I have my OWN computer. I WILL update faster now. I promise. :)**

After a few hours, we finally landed at the imposing Academy of Evil. I looked out the window of Cortex's airship. The campus was made up of several old buildings, made purposely to look "scary". The ship landed shakily in the middle of the courtyard, and my sore body ached from the rough landing.

"Ah. We're here!" Cortex looked undisputedly excited. He slapped me on the back, and a wave of pain washed over me. I groaned.

Nina grabbed my hand and dragged me down the ramp. followed us, his identity obscured by the stack of pink luggage in his arms. A chubby pale boy with glasses marched up to us. He assaulted my eyes with a harsh beam of light from his flashlight.

"Hm…Cortex, Nina?" He asked, glancing at a clipboard.

"Oooh ooh! I'm Cortex Nina!" Nina waved a metal hand in the air.

The boy looked at her, then at the stack of her pink luggage that was carrying, and shook his head in disapproval. "Follow me to the enrollment office. Your…ah…pet…will have to stay here. The office is for students only."

Nina looked upset. Then an idea occurred to me. "Hey, are anthros allowed to enroll?" I asked the boy.

He stared hard at me for a moment. "Hm…interesting thought. No…beast…has ever even asked. But of course, you're the first one I've met that walks on two legs. I…I guess you can give it a shot. IF you think you have what it takes." He turned away. I looked at Nina and smiled reassuringly. She smiled back at me and took my hand as gently as possible. Hand in hand we followed the boy to the enrollment office.

The enrollment office was the smallest building there. The pale boy opened the door for us and we stepped inside. I had almost forgotten that Neo was there too, but he reminded me.

"Heheheheheh. I wouldn't worry about it too much. You won't last two days here at the Academy." He hissed in my ear. I pretended to ignore him.

A tall, skinny woman with shiny red hair looked up at us from behind a counter. "Oh, thank you Jeffery. You're dismissed." The bespectacled boy nodded and left the room. The red-headed woman stood up. "Welcome to the Academy of Evil! My name is Eve Redshadow. I'm the Secretary in charge of enrollment here, but I'm also the school psychiatrist."

"Ah…oh! What…erm…happened to Ms. Nightwielder?" Neo asked, uncharacteristically concerned.

"She got fired like, ten years ago! Didn't you hear?" Ms. Redshadow raised an eyebrow.

"WHY?" Neo gasped.

"For having….inappropriate relations with a student." Ms. Redshadow answered. Neo laughed nervously and looked at the ground. His yellow face turned crimson. I could barely suppress a chuckle. I clamped a paw over my mouth and pretended to be suppressing a cough.

"Well then! Nina Cortex, is it?" Ms. Redshadow asked. Nina looked up at her and nodded. "I've reviewed your information, and you would be a good fit in the Kingsley house. It's a nice place for young children; not too tough, easy classes. It's a good place for new students. When you get a good feel for what life is like at the Academy, I'll talk to the headmistress about leveling you up to more challenging courses." She gave Nina a small gold key. "Here is the key to your dorm room. Delta-R348 will be here shortly to bring your luggage."

Ms. Redshadow turned to me. "Hm…it seems we have an unexpected arrival. We've never had such a unique student here before. I think you would be a good fit in the Windrake house. It's a"

Neo stopped her. "No, no, no. I think THAT particular house is not for him. THAT was MY house. I will not have filthy disgusting creatures dishonoring the Windrake name. I think the Rochester house would be a good choice."

Ms. Redshadow's eyes widened. "Um…I respectively disagree. The Rochester house is far too….well…it just wouldn't be a good fit for the little guy."

I felt pretty embarrassed at being called a "little guy". I also wasn't in a position to argue with Cortex. "Just…fine. Rochester it is."

Eve Redshadow opened her mouth, but closed it again. "Oh…well…alright. I hope you know what you're getting into." She dropped a small black key into my paw.

I turned to Nina. "Well kid, it looks like this is where we part ways. I'm at school with you, but…we're in different houses. I promise I'll look after you when I can." I put a paw on her shoulder. As my words sunk in, tears formed in Nina's blue eyes.

"But…will I see you?" She asked.

"Of…course you will." I replied. Sobbing, Nina wrapped her arms around me and didn't show any signs of letting go. I tried to take a few shallow breaths, but my lungs were being crushed.

"Ugh. Give me a break." Neo grabbed Nina's shoulders and tried to pull her away from me. Finally, just as my vision began to go black, Nina released me.

Before I myself started to cry, I waved goodbye and left the building. Jeffery was waiting impatiently outside, brandishing his flashlight like a lightsaber. "Well? Are you coming or what?"

"Um…yeah," I replied, taking one last look at the enrollment office where Nina was undoubtedly still weeping. I followed the chubby, pale young teenager through the courtyard and down the winding stone paths. The Rochester building was large, and made of grey stone. Also, it had some creepy gargoyles its roof. In other words, it looked like all the other buildings on campus, and I was less than excited to see what was inside. Jeff grabbed hold of the huge brass door knocker, which of course had the image of a skull on it, and knocked a few times. The harsh, chunky sound echoed across the entire campus.

I half expected some filthy frat boy in a red letter jacket to open the door and burp in my face, but instead a sickly pale teenage girl stood in the doorway. Her scruffy long hair was black with purple streaks in it, and her bangs hung over her haunted-looking grey eyes. She said nothing to me, but gestured for me to go inside with her long spidery fingers. Jeff took a Kleenex and loudly blew his nose. "Yeah. I'm leaving. See ya." He turned around and walked back outside, leaving me alone with the ghostly teenage girl.

I followed her into the living room, where several goth teens were playing Guitar Hero. The girl pointed a long finger toward a black haired boy with green streaks in his hair. He sat in a large black armchair, cheering on the hugely muscular and tattooed boy that was currently playing the game. Cautiously I made my way up to the green-haired guy. "Um…"

He looked up at me with bright green eyes. His eyebrow and his ears were pierced numerous times. "WOAH! You're like…some sort of animal, right?"

"Erm…I'm a bandicoot. They call me Fake Crash. I just enrolled here, and that ah…girl over there…she…ah…pointed to you." I explained.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "You mean Spirit? Yeah…she doesn't say too much. That's why I like her. She's my girl." He waved to the ghostlike girl, who didn't even blink in reply. "They call me Virus. I'm the dorm advisor. I'm in charge around here. I guess that makes me the guy to welcome you. So welcome to Rochester." Virus took my paw and shook it vigorously. "Lemme show you where you'll be staying." He got up and led me upstairs.

The room was a little on the small side; four beds, two dressers, and a desk with a computer. The walls were plastered with various band posters and posters of scantily clad women. Virus clapped me on the back. "Well, whaddya think of our place? That's where I sleep." He pointed to the messiest of the four beds. He pulled the blanket off, and about a dozen Mountain Dew cans fell onto the floor. "Uh…sorry about that. That's where you'll sleep." Virus pointed to a bed looked like a nest of magazines, soda cans, school books, and Pringles cans. With one sweep of his muscular arm, Virus knocked everything off of the bed and onto the floor. Now the bed was neat and untouched…I couldn't say the same about the floor though. "Well, see you later." Virus left me alone in the tiny room. I wondered what my other two roommates would be like…

In a few hours, I had the entire room cleaned up. I threw all the garbage into a trash bag and put it outside, I made all the beds, and I stacked the books and magazines. NOW it was starting to look acceptable for my tastes. No, I'm not a neat freak, but come on! I had to SLEEP there. When I was finished, I was exhausted. I sat on my bed and thought about what Nina must be doing. I hoped they wouldn't brainwash her too bad…

"WHAT THE HELL?" A tall, tattooed boy with spiky crimson hair and blood-red eyes stormed into the room. He easily picked me up by the scruff and shook me harshly. "Heheheheh…I'm sorry. If I didn't know better, I'd think you thought that you're…somehow better than me." I instantly didn't like this guy's voice. It was soft and dangerous. "What, our decorating style doesn't suit your…refined taste? You're an animal. Aren't you used to living in filth? How would you like to sleep in a pile of…"

"Lucky, that's enough." Virus showed up at that precise moment, followed by a huge, apelike guy with blonde hair. "So what if Faker wants to be our little maid? I say let him. He wants to clean the place up, fine by me."

Lucky relaxed his grip on the scruff of my neck. "Ah…yes…of course. I'm sorry. I completely forgot my manners in front of our guest." He grinned at me. Oh Lord…the guy had fangs. "I guess you've already gathered that I'm called Lucky. I am sort of a…well…a vampire." He said proudly. Virus rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Um…yes…of course you are, Lucky." The apelike blonde guy slapped him on the back. "I'm Cyanide. And you're like…Fake Ass or something like that?" He turned to me. His eyes looked way too innocent and baby-blue to be enrolled in this school.

"Fake Crash, actually." I looked at the ground.

Virus sat on his bed and opened a can of Mountain Dew. "So…what's your deal anyway, Faker? How'd you turn into a fox?"

"I'm a bandicoot. It's a real species; you can Google it. I was born a…regular bandicoot I guess, and I was evolved with some sort of machine by Dr. Neo Cortex." I explained.

"Wait…Crybaby Cortex? He actually…built something? And USED it? To make you? Now THAT I can't buy. Crybaby's a legend around here. Madame Amberly said he'd never amount to anything. She's always talking about how we should strive to not be like him and stuff. But it looks like he created something after all. My dad knew him…he used to punch that little twerp's lights out twice a week." Virus took a drink of his soda.

"Well," I sat back down on the bed. "I'm glad to be away from him. You can't imagine what I've been through."

"Oh yeah? Well, you can't imagine what I've been through either. I used to be a happy Leprechaun, and then these stupid-ass kids kept trying to steal my cereal. Then the unthinkable happened. This crazy-ass vampire chick named Bella just came outta nowhere and bit me to make her husband, Edward, jealous. I was happy at first cuz the kids were all too afraid to try and steal my cereal, but then I was pissed cuz I didn't want to eat cereal anymore. I only wanted to drink blood. Then I figured vampires are supposed to be evil, so I joined this school to learn how to be evil. The End." When Lucky finished, everyone was staring at him.

"Wait a minute…I thought you said you got bit by a vampire named Bill?" Cyanide asked.

"Ah…that's crazy. Bill's a terrible name for a vampire." Lucky said.

"Oh…okay." Cyanide rolled his eyes.

"We'd better all get to sleep." Virus suggested. And so we did.

The next morning, all four of us ate in the cafeteria together. I kept an eye out for Nina, but she was too young to eat in the senior cafeteria.

"So…I was thinking. If Faker wants to hang with us, he has to prove his worth." Virus elbowed Lucky in the ribs.

"Oh…yes. I definitely agree. If you want to be a TRUE student of the Academy of Evil, well…you gotta do something EVIL." Lucky's red eyes stared into my soul.

"That is, if you're not too…SCARED." Cyanide added, snickering.

I looked at all of them. Did I really want to get myself into this? I knew that whatever happened, it was for Nina's sake. I would do anything.

"I'm ready," I said with confidence. "Whatever it is, bring it on."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"_I was fighting for a reason_

_Holy blessed homicide"_

**A/N: I guess I didn't update so fast….but I was uninspired for a while. Heh.**

"Aren't we gonna get in trouble for being awake after-hours?" I asked Virus. He, Cyanide, Lucky and I stood in the dark hallway of the Rochester house.

"Nah. Not if we don't get caught, stupid. So shut up!" Lucky hissed at me. I wasn't stupid enough to ask any more questions, so I followed the three scary guys through the silent Rochester house.

"Hey you guys…I think someone's coming," Cyanide whispered urgently. The four of us peered down the hallway to see a flash of light reflecting off of a pair of eyeglasses.

"Dammit, it's Jeffery!" Virus growled. We began to back away down the narrow hall.

"Stop right there, delinquents!" Jeffery called out. My stomach dropped. Now we were all going to get in serious trouble. If I got expelled, what would happen to me then? I would go back to Cortex, which was basically a death sentence.

Virus and the others didn't share my concerns. "I've had enough of this little prick. Let's kick his ass, and deal with it later," Virus said. His friends nodded.

Jeffery had advanced until he was face to face with Virus himself. "You three again? You don't know how long I've waited for this chance to show Madame Amberly that you deserve to be carted outta here. Your ass is grass, mister!" He gave us a contemptuous sneer. Then his eyes widened when he saw me attempting to hide behind Cyanide. "New guy…it looks like you made the wrong friends. It's a shame you're going to get expelled on your second day here." He looked at his Star Trek wrist watch. It read 12:03. "Okay…technically it's your third day."

Suddenly, Virus picked the chubby kid up by the collar of his sweater-vest. "No one's getting expelled tonight. You're the one who's in trouble. You shouldn't have messed with us, or our new friend. Have a nice night." He snapped his fingers, and Cyanide took Jeffery out of Virus' clutches. Lucky pounded once on a locker, and it slid open with ease.

"Um…no. I just…no. You guys don't have to do this. Remember last year when we were pals? Yeah…I covered for you when Lucky spray-painted that vulgar message about Professor Gnarltounge on the girls' bathroom wall. Remember?" Jeffery was shaking.

Virus hesitated for a brief moment. His eyes reflected a deep and complicated past that I would probably never know about. Then he shook it off. "So what? That was then. You were cool then. Now you're an ass. Ever since Madame Amberly recommended you for that scholarship, you've become really annoying." He turned to Cyanide. "Okay, do it."

Cyanide jammed a protesting Jeffery into the tall locker, and slammed the door. "Okay, now let's get this over with before someone finds him," Virus said.

Before I knew it, we were outside and running toward the Windrake building. "This is where all the cool science stuff is," Cyanide explained to me. I nodded, but inside I was confused. What could I possibly be doing to prove my worth that involved science? All I knew about science was that Neo Cortex liked to use it like witchcraft. Nothing good would probably happen.

Once inside, my nose was assaulted by the smell of formaldehyde and latex. I tried not to puke in my mouth. If Cortex had smelled this every day and night, I wasn't surprised he was such a creep. "Come on." Lucky shoved me onward.

We came to a door that said "Theoretical Physics Experimentation: Authorized Personnel Only." I felt a cold rush of adrenaline at the word Experimentation. That could mean all sorts of nasty things, like what happened to Nina. I wanted to scream at the very thought of it.

"Hey guys, this is it. This is the place where it's supposed to be," Virus said with reverence, as if he were witnessing a blessed miracle. I didn't have time to ask what "it" was before Lucky pushed the white door open, and the others went in single file.

I reluctantly followed them into a huge white room with all sorts of complex machines. To me, they all just looked like a jungle of colored lights and shining metal. One thing, however, caught my eye. It was a huge, upright metal hoop on a stand. Next to it was what looked like an average home computer. As I stared at it, Virus put a hand on my shoulder.

"That's it. That's what you're gonna do. You're gonna go in," he told me.

I didn't understand at first. "What…you mean jump through the hoop?"

Virus shook his head. "No. We turn on the machine, and you're gonna stick your paw in the portal. That's all you gotta do. The rest of us are too scared."

I tried to shake the fuzzy feeling from my head. "Scared? Is there something I should be scared of?"

"Nah. We just…don't know what it does. It's called a Trans-dimensional Portal, built about six years ago by Professor Cryptmark. Madame Amberly supposedly said he wasn't allowed to test it, cuz it was too dangerous. If you're really hardcore like us, you'll be the one to test it." Virus finished.

I opened my mouth and closed it. That's it? All I had to do was stick my paw into a portal and then I would be accepted into their group? This was a mild form of hazing at best. I expected something more along the lines of drinking a gallon of a deadly toxin, or at least spraypainting Madame Amberly's car or something. I nodded, looking more confident than I should. Lucky shot me a glare of distaste. He was obviously jealous that he wasn't as brave as me.

Virus clapped me on the back, sending a slight painful twinge through my abdomen where I had gotten stabbed. After a few moments of messing around with the Trans-dimensional Portal, Cyanide got it working properly. A spinning, light blue vortex appeared in the giant hoop. The three humans held their breaths in reverence of the portal. I strode confidently, right up to it. I wasn't the least bit nervous. What could possibly happen?

I felt an invisible force slightly pulling me toward the vortex, but it wasn't strong enough to suck me in. I waved a paw, grinning, at my new friends, and pushed it into the blue vortex. My paw was completely submerged in the blue vortex, which only felt like…..really windy. Other than the wind battering my skin and blowing my fur, I didn't feel a thing. Heh, this was easy. I turned back and gave my friends another confident smile with my enormous teeth. They smiled nervously back, then suddenly I noticed their smiles turn into screams.

"Ulp!" I exclaimed as the invisible force jerked my arm into the vortex, followed by my head. Hands grabbed onto my ankles.

"Don't worry, Faker. I've got ya." I barely heard Virus's reassuring words over the massive gusts of wind that buffeted my ears. I shut my eyes tight, but that didn't stop the tears streaming down my furry face from the sheer force of the cold winds that continually slapped me in the face.

The force grew stronger, and stronger, pulling me ever forward. I was really disorientated, because of the winds hitting my face. All I could think of was my fear. What was going to happen if Virus couldn't hold onto my ankles? Where would I end up? Was I going to die here? The thought of leaving Nina all alone in a place like this was unbearable. I had to-

Virus's hands slipped off of my ankles at that moment, and I went hurtling blindly towards whatever was on the other side. Before I knew it, I was back on my feet, and in a very strange place. I rubbed my watering eyes.

"There he is. Ha! Now I've got all you bandicoots. Now nothing will stop me from…whatever it is that I was planning to do," said a very sophisticated-sounding voice.

When I had wiped my eyes, I saw a tall blue-skinned man with an outfit that reminded me of a watch, with clocks and everything. Standing next to him was…I guess a large, robotic purple egg with wild eyes. YES. The egg DID have eyes, and it was purple. I'm not lying, I swear. I didn't know what I was doing here, on top of this large slab of rock in space, so I just smiled and nodded.

"Ugh. Crash, you moron, go stand over there with the others," the blue man ordered me.

My breath caught in my throat. When was the last time that I was addressed as Crash? Painful emotions tore through me, but I didn't have time to bitch about how horrible my life was. Crap, I LIKE to complain. All well. The purple egg thing pushed me towards two very familiar bandicoots. The blonde female was younger than me, and I had seen her from afar, when I was stranded on the island. I hadn't seen the huge burgundy-colored male in person, but I recognized that metal arm from the pictures that Neo had been tearing up in his office. His green eyes widened in disbelief when he saw me. The girl gave me a similar look, but I could tell she knew she had seen me before.

"Um…who the hell…?" was all the muscular burgundy bandicoot could manage.

"Shhh!" The girl hissed. "I know, Crunch. I've seen him before. But those two will go looking for Crash if they know this isn't him."

I really wanted to say that I was the original Crash. I wanted to say that I despised that son of a bitch for taking the life that should have been mine. I wanted to ask that girl why she hadn't saved me on the island. But I kept my mouth shut.

"N-Trance, will you do the honors?" asked the blue man.

"It would be a pleasure," said the egg. He (or it maybe?) put some swirly thing in front of my eyes, and I became REAAAAAALLLLYYYYY drowsy. I felt pleasant….like I was floating. The egg called N-Trance started to tell us all a lovely tale about how we were going to help take over the world or some crap. Sure. I would do whatever I had to, just to see the pretty swirling circle again. Did I mention it was pretty? I'm sure I didn't mention it was swirly. Well it waaaaassss. And pretty too.

The next thing I knew, I was standing on some kind of platform. I looked around, and it looked like I was inside a giant Egyptian pyramid. I only knew that because Nadine had told me that she and Xavier had seen many pyramids in their travels. My jaw ached with sadness when I thought about the two kind humans. What would they say if they could see me now? They would be disappointed…I had left Nina alone back there, just so I could fit in with my new friends. Even though I didn't know if there was any sort of God for mutant freaks like me, I raised my eyes to the high ceiling and prayed that Nina would be okay in my absence.

My wrist ached. A large wristwatch was affixed to it. Hey…it had the pretty swirly thing on it. I stared at it for a while…it comforts me so. I began to feel more relaxed, and I forgot what I was thinking about before. It was something with an N…I'm sure of it. Oh yes, it was N-Trance and N-Tropy. They're nice. I'm supposed to do whatever they say, right? Yes…definitely. All I could think about was how nice N-Trance and N-Tropy were. I sat on the platform and thought about this a great deal, while I watched the swirly circle.

"Crash, look over there," a deep voice murmured.

I looked up from what I was doing. Who were these people, and how dare they distract me from looking at the pretty circle? I stood up. A familiar orange bandicoot stood on the platform across from me. His green eyes were widened with shock. Above him, an ancient-looking mask adorned with feathers hovered protectively.

This guy reminded me a lot of…well…me, except he was better-looking. I thought he was probably here to make fun of me. I gave him the meanest glare I could. Why did he look so familiar? I didn't know why, but I really wanted to tear this guy up.

"You've seen him before, haven't you?" The mask said to the orange guy. I guess his name was Crash. I tried to remember why that name made me so angry…but my brain was filled with swirling circles. Crash nodded gravely and stared at me with concern.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Do something you…jerk!" My voice sounded weird…like a rasping bark.

Crash jumped at that moment. I jumped at the same time. He did that damn spinning move; I did it at the exact same time, even though I had never learned to do it myself. It wasn't that hard, really. I felt like I was inside his head. I predicted every move he made before he even did it. We continued our dance from platform to platform, up and down. Some platforms had spears sticking out of them, and they popped out of their holes every now and then. Also, blocks fell from the ceiling; one on my side and one on his.

I quickly realized that the two sides of the arena weren't quite the same. The spears were in a different place on his side. Some of the platforms were different lengths. I had an idea that I could lure Crash into getting impaled by the spears on his side. The thought was…sort of appealing. I jumped onto a platform with spears, and I looked back to judge my distance from them. I hoped that Crash was closer to his spears, since the two sides of our arena were not symmetrical.

I took a step back, and so did Crash. I took another step back, and I could feel the spears slash at the air centimeters from the fur on my back. Crash however, wasn't so lucky. A spear impaled him at the top of his spinal cord. It quickly pulled out of him with a sticky sound. Chills ran up my spine. Crash got on all fours and gasped with pain. Blood ran down his back and onto the platform. Suddenly he and the mask began to flash.

"Don't give up Crash!" The mask said as he disappeared in a flurry of feathers.

Crash got to his feet. The blood had disappeared and he was perfectly fine. That mask must have taken the hit for him. The other bandicoot looked at me curiously, seeing that I had no magical thingies to help me.

"I'd like to see you do that again!" I yelled confidently. So we continued our not-so-graceful dance up and down the platforms.

Suddenly Crash stood completely still. I did the same. Two blocks fell from the ceiling, right towards our heads. Faster they fell, but still Crash didn't move. This dude was crazier than me. At the last second he jumped backwards. Unfortunately I did too late. The block fell right on top of me. I felt my organs being crushed, but I managed to wriggle my way out from under the massive object.

I tried to keep on jumping around, pretending that I wasn't affected…but I was weakened and my breathing was labored. I leapt onto the platform a split second after Crash. My timing was off. He went directly on top of the holes where the spears would come out. HA! That's what he wanted me to do. This time I ran forward instead. OOF! Another one of the massive blocks landed on me. I felt several ribs snap, and I felt my knife wound again. This time I barely had the strength to crawl out from under the object.

No longer thinking, I stepped backwards and was impaled in the leg by a lightning fast spear. I pulled my leg away…holy crap it hurt. I limped out of the way of the spears. Crash was looking at me with concern.

"You….you'll pay for this! All of it!" I jumped across the chasm towards Crash, reaching out to…like strangle him or something. I was too weak to make it…I kept on falling down, down, down…to my doom.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"_Seems I have committed treason_

_All I've Sacrificed_

_Led to Nothing"_

**A/N: Okays. I finally updated. Fake Crash isn't dead of course. I love him too much! I just got a job and yeah…**

I woke up in yet another hospital bed. However this time, I wasn't greeted by any hot nurses. The blue man called N. Tropy, the egg dude N. Trance and another floating mask were all standing there arguing.

"Crash has almost all the crystals…and those other two are out of our control," said N. Tropy.

"If Crash is the one stopping us, who's this guy?" N. Trance gestured to me.

"Who cares? You two are failing me just like Cortex! I thought I could count on you two to actually get something accomplished!" The ugly floating mask seemed angry.

"Don't worry Uka Uka…I'll take care of Crash myself," said the egg dude. He walked over to my bed and looked down at me with his creepy-looking face. "I don't know what or who you are, but since you're the only one left then you can still be useful."

I reeaaaaallly wanted to ask them all how they knew Cortex, but I kept my trap shut and just nodded and grinned like an idiot.

"Follow me then." N. Trance began to walk out the doorway. I got out of bed but my injured leg collapsed under me. My torso was once again covered in bandages and so was my left leg. N. Tropy handed me a walking stick. I hobbled after the egg man feebly.

N. Trance took me to a cliff overlooking a clearing. On the edge of the cliff there was a random lever embedded into the ground.

"What's with the random lever?" I asked, then regretted it instantly.

N. Trance's eyes bugged out more than ever. "Did you just talk?"

I shook my head and grinned stupidly, but he didn't buy it. He pulled my walking stick out from under me, and I fell to the ground. As I looked up, the egg showed me the pretty swirling shape again. I felt all nice and floaty. "Listen to me you little couch cushion. All I want you to do is pull this lever whenever the little green light comes on. That means Crash is under the cliff. The lever will send lava raining down upon his head, cooking his flesh until he screams in horrible pain," N. Trance explained. I cringed at the thought. "You think you can manage THAT at least?" The egg asked. I nodded and grinned stupidly again.

N. Trance walked away and left me there, leaning on the lever for support. How did I get myself into this? I didn't remember. All I could remember was that beautiful swirl. Oh yeah, that Crash…that awful Crash had caused me to hurt myself really badly. The nice egg man told me to kill him, so that is what I would do. I stood there for a while, thinking about nothing…and the nice swirly thing of course.

"Be ready, here he comes." N. Trance flew towards me over the ground. He appeared to have no limbs, but he had turned himself into a floating rocket of some sort. I nodded and gripped the leather handle of the lever in both paws. My masters were depending on me to be the best lever-puller I could be. So I would do my best for them…and the pretty swirly. It was swirly and pretty. They might let me see it again if I did a good job.

Crash flew into the clearing, sporting a sort of helicopter jet pack. N. Trance shot several colored ball things at him, but he dodged them. Then he shot a large ball at Crash, which followed him around. It finally hit him and a confused look came onto his face. He flew around in random directions, dodging things that weren't there. N. Trance laughed in a hysterical manner and flew towards his victim. Crash used a weird spinning move and whacked the purple egg in the face. He flew towards the bottom of the cliff. _Bing!_ The green light came on. Oh boy...it was time! Excited, I pulled the lever as hard as I could. I heard a sizzling sound from below me.

"AAUUGGH! Not me you idiotic stuffed animal!" N. Trance screamed in pain. Oops. Did I not do a good job? The egg floated up to me, glaring furiously with those big creepy eyes. "Obviously, if you can't see me out there, I'm obviously down below IN THE PATH OF THE LAVA. So next time, get HIM not ME you worthless toilet brush."

"I'm really really really really really sorry. I am soooo sorry. It will not happen again. If it does happen again, which it won't, I give you permission to-"

"Enough." N. Trance started to swirl the swirly thing again. I immediately forgot why I was apologizing.

He flew towards Crash and shot beams at him, all of which the bandicoot avoided. He continued to spin around in the air and knock N. Trance in the face. The egg bounced around the clearing like a super ball. I expected yolk to spill out of him at any second. Again he flew under the cliff and the green light came on. I pulled the lever without thinking. Again there was a scream of pain.

"Gahhh! %*^)*^#(&#!" N. Trance yelled as he came up covered in dying flames. "You…steaming…bowl of…peach fuzz…" Somehow, deep red veins were standing out on his nonexistent neck.

This time I didn't say anything. He went back to get horribly burned some more. Three more times this happened, where I apparently messed up.

Finally, an extremely charred N. Trance fell to the ground, coughing up smoke. Crash did an aerial dance of happiness. I stared at him, and as my swirly-induced high began to wear off I came to the realization that I had failed. Also, I realized that this was the guy who had unwittingly stolen my life and my identity.

In a moment of complete stupidity and anger, I leapt off the cliff and grabbed Crash by the ankles. "You stole my life you bastard! You'll pay for that!"

Crash looked down at me, confused. The helicopter pack made an unhappy noise as my weight dragged it downwards. I tried to climb up his spindly legs and go for the throat. Without warning my enemy did a tornado spin again and I flew in a random direction. My stomach felt strangely like it was bouncing around inside me. My head collided with the cliff side and I blacked out…again.

"Wake up you repulsive rat!" Woah, N. Tropy's blue face glared down at me in frustration. I was in the same hospital bed again…I barely even had time to register that fact before he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me to my feet.

Jabbing a finger into my chest he snarled, "You're finished, do you hear me, FINISHED!" I was dragged to the weird place where I first was brought here. I stood at attention no more than five feet away from the portal which was my ticket to freedom. My eyes traveled to it every three seconds as N. Tropy stood across from me, breathing heavily and angrily.

"I am unsure of who or what you are, but I do know this. You are the most useless creature I have ever encountered. It is all because of you that we have failed!"

I didn't like the look in his eyes. This was a desperate, and possibly mad man. Their failures definitely weren't MY fault. N. Tropy was just looking for something to take his anger out on, and I was the only one around. It also couldn't have helped that I looked like the creature he and his friends all hated. As he stared at me with that murderous gaze, I shifted my weight onto my good leg, feeling uncomfortable. I took one step to the left, towards freedom.

"DON'T move you ugly…thing…" N. Tropy poked his staff in my direction. Not attacking, just…staring in the same way.

Yes, I'm ugly. So couldn't everyone stop mentioning it already? I turned my attention to a crack on the ground, trying not to act afraid.

The blue man took a few steps closer. "Beg, won't you? Beg for your life like the dog you are." His staff glowed with power. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

The portal flashed a few times. The blue swirl pattern reversed itself. A shape climbed out, accompanied by a floating mask.

"We're here Crash! Now let's stop them once and for all!" Said the mask.

Crash stared at my sorry injured form, screwing up his eyebrows as if in an attempt to remember something.

N. Tropy lowered his weapon and took a step back. "NOOO! I can't defeat all of these bandicoots myself!" He quickly took off through another portal, leaving me alone with Crash and the mask.

My rival and I stared each other down. I glared at Crash with the horrible jealousy I had so long harbored, and he stared at me with blank confusion. He looked about ready to say something…could he even talk?

I asked him. "Can you talk?"

The other bandicoot shook his head.

"HA!" I jabbed a finger in his direction. "You can't even talk! I can! Haaahahahaa!" I danced around in triumph, ignoring the pain in my leg. "Woot! So what now? Who's the best now, huh? Cortex made a mistake picking you over me. You didn't even appreciate all the attention he gave you. You betrayed him! If I went back there right now I would be welcomed back like a hero. Why did you betray Cortex? You don't know how good you had it." I limped up to him, staring into his eyes. "I would've given anything to be you; to be wanted and needed, and you go and throw it all away. Why?"

Crash looked at me with regret, and great frustration. There were a lot of things he wanted to tell me, but he couldn't. Maybe he was jealous of me?

"Cortex is a person who is incapable of caring for anyone but himself, or at least he has no compassion whatsoever for the things he creates. He thinks of them as tools; things to be used and thrown away. He dismissed Crash as worthless simply because of his appearance, even though his creations that look so powerful don't have nearly the inner strength or heart. He missed out on Crash's true power within, because he judged too quickly," The mask explained.

"Cortex did that to me…he thought Crash would be stronger because he looked better. I don't really have any power within though…so I guess he was right to judge me." I sighed.

"Don't dismiss yourself as weak just because someone else says so. Your strength does not need to lie in fighting, for that isn't a true measure of greatness. You have a strong heart, I can see that. You are meant for something great; but you need to find what it is."

The mask was very wise. I looked down, and thought for a moment about what he said. Crash smiled at me, and put a reassuring paw on my shoulder. I looked at him for a minute. He was fighting against Neo for…for what? Just because he thought what the man was doing was wrong. I was fighting against him because…Nina! I couldn't believe I got so caught up in all this that I nearly…forgot. How embarrassing.

"Outta my way! I gotta go." I shoved a confused Crash aside and leapt into the portal. Woooooaahhh! The wind buffeted me once more, and my body felt like it was being torn in two.

I flew out and collided with a large and squishy object. "Hello there," said a gruff voice. I looked up. An ugly bearded face leered back at me. "Madame Amberly will need to hear about this right away." The man took my arm and dragged me away from the portal.

Virus, Lucky, and Cyanide came at that moment. "Man, we thought you were dead. You didn't come back for two days, so we had to get help," Virus explained.

"I almost did die…and now I'm in trouble. Thanks guys," I muttered. I let the large guard lead me across the campus and to Madame Amberly's office, not looking back at my newest friends. I had too much to think about right now.


End file.
